Cathedral of San Fernando, Catholic cathedral in downtown San Antonio, United States
San Fernando Cathedral faces Main Plaza with a symmetrical light beige and grey stone facade: two square towers with flat roofs and thin crosses, a stepped gable crowned by a cross, a rose window above a niche statue, and three recessed pointed-arch doorways. Inside, a long nave has a high pointed wooden ceiling on tall grey stone columns with carved capitals, plain wooden pews, and a rounded arch framing a golden altarpiece behind a white altar.
The cornerstone was laid on May 11, 1738, for a church named after Ferdinand III of Castile, built by presidio soldiers and 55 Canary Island settlers; after poor early work, a master mason and stone cutter from Mexico rebuilt it, and it was dedicated in 1755. A flood damaged it in 1819 and a fire in 1828. In 1868 architect Francois P. Giraud razed part of the nave and bell tower, rebuilding with twin towers and a Gothic Revival nave; only the sanctuary survived. It became a cathedral in 1874.
The cathedral is named for Ferdinand III of Castile, and its full title also honours Our Lady of Candelaria, patroness of the Canary Islands, whose image stands inside because Canary Islanders settled here in 1731. The carved stone Stations of the Cross date from 1874, the year the church became a cathedral.
The main entrance is the recessed pointed arch at the center of the facade on Main Plaza; the two tower doorways also open onto the plaza. Inside, a wide central aisle runs between rows of wooden pews toward the sanctuary arch, with the dark wooden pulpit on the left. The 2003 renovation moved the altar toward the center of the nave and placed the baptismal font in the main aisle.
Several evenings per week, the facade is illuminated with a light and video show that depicts scenes from San Antonio's past. This projection runs about 24 minutes and creates an unexpected visual experience on a historic structure.
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